1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hangers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a clamping-type garment hanger which prevents unwanted creases or imprints, and which is more economical to manufacture than clamping-type garment hangers heretofore in use.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Clamping-type garment hangers have heretofore been provided for the suspension or hanging of articles such as pants, skirts, etc. Such hangers include at least one clamp typically defined by a pair of opposed clamp or jaw members between which the article is placed. Provision is made for biasing the members to create the clamping force necessary to retain the article between the inner surfaces of the jaw members. To further retain the article between the inner surfaces of the members, the clamp or jaw members have heretofore also included on its inner surfaces teeth elements or a friction surface separately attached to the inner surfaces of the clamp or jaw members.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,274 to Garrison entitled "Garment Grip Construction for Hangers" discloses a clamping-type garment hanging device on which teeth 70 and 88 are placed to grip and secure the garment to the hanger. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,092 to Garrison et al. entitled "Garment Clamping Hanger with Slidable Locking Clip" discloses a clamping-type garment hanging device on which teeth generally indicated as 42 are placed to secure the garment to the hanger. These clamp-type garment hangers which utilize teeth, often sharp or otherwise pointed, suffer from the drawback of introducing unwanted creases, marks, holes, projections or disfigurations to the garment. Where the garment is especially delicate, these hangers heretofore in use can be particularly harmful to the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,191 to Garrison et al. entitled "Hangers with Long Lasting Non-Slip Surfaces" discloses a clamp-type garment hanging device on which resilient pads 23 and 25 are molded. Pads 23 and 25 are adhered to or molded to both clamping surfaces of clamp 16 and 17 by an expensive and complicated process whereby resilient friction material, when in a molten state, is applied to the clamping surfaces of the jaw. U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,705 to Garrison entitled "Article Gripping Means and Method of Making Same" discloses a clamp-type garment hanging device on which gripping pads 20 are separately attached to both clamping surfaces of clamp 13. This attaching process is also expensive and introduces undesirable complexities into the manufacturing process. Moreover, the material from which these gripping pads have been made have an unwanted tendency to become sticky when subject to increased temperatures. This can become particularly harmful to garments when hangers of this sort are used to transport garments over long distances, often in very hot conditions. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,801 to Batts, entitled "Trousers Hanger," suffers from similar drawbacks. Thus, garments may be damaged or otherwise harmed by use of such hangers.
Each of these patents suffer from the drawback of either having sharp teeth which tend to damage the garment, or have no clamping surface which is easily formed and made, and which neither introduces complexities into the manufacturing process nor tends to harm the garment. In addition, these patents do not provide a clamping surface which yields superior clamping characteristics.